Well, you'd better sit for this one

(Yeah, it's that bad.)

I went to my oncologist's, Dr. G, on Monday, 11 January 2010.

There's no good way to spin this, so here it is:

1. Dr. G told me that the chemotherapy is not working and isn't even slowing the cancer down.

2. my lungs and liver are starting to fail.

3. I have roughly two months to live.

Yes, you read that last one correctly - "two months".

If, by now you are thinking that I'm being pretty brave about all of this, that's because you aren't here watching the streams of tears flowing out of my eyes.

Obviously this isn't what I wanted; I was hoping for another two decades but this isn't going to happen.

Please feel free to drop by and see me (or call) in the next two months. Please check-up on my wife and son from time to time. Finally, Marjorie and Kyle will be hosting a wake for me some time around my 47th birthday, 5 September 2010. Mark your calendars.

More good news

My friends Tim and Kris became parents of Sloane Smith at 4:30 AM on 6 January 2010.

Congratulations to Tim, Kris, and Sloane.

I hope life is sweet for you all.

... and Life renews its Promise

and even as Frank's nasty offspring eat away at me:

My friend John, who is ten years younger than me and survived two rounds of treatment for testicular cancer, became a father on 30 December 2009. Twins - a boy and a girl.

Congratulations to John and his lovely wife Robin.

And to Life, for letting me see it renew itself.

Sorry, wrong number(s)

Well the numbers are in from my oncologist appointment on 28 December 2009. My CEA is up to 123 and my weight is down to 130 pounds.

Once again this is the wrong direction from both of these numbers.

I'll talk to my oncologist, Dr. G, on Monday, 11 January 2010, about my CEA, but I think it means the oral chemotherapy is also not working.